Human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, has filed a lawsuit against Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at the Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly violating his fundamental rights by blocking him on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account.

In the suit marked FHC/L/CS/1739/25, which was shared by Ogun on Friday via his facebook page, he said the governor’s decision to block him since 2021 was triggered by his “constructive criticisms” and “demand for accountability” over the October 2020 #EndSARS killings.

“In 2021, I noticed that the Governor blocked me on his official X handle @jidesanwoolu owing to my constructive criticisms of his policies and demand for accountability in respect of the October 2020 #EndSARS Massacre,” Ogun wrote.

According to him, being blocked has deprived him of access to vital information.

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“Blocking me on X has prevented me from accessing public updates and receiving information about policies and governance in Lagos, which constitutes a violation of my right to receive information without interference,” he said.

In his originating summons cited by The PUNCH, the lawyer asked the court to declare the action unconstitutional, arbitrary, and discriminatory.

According to the lawsuit, Ogun said he sought “a declaration that, as a democratically-elected public office holder in Nigeria, the Respondent (@jidesanwoolu)’s blocking of the Applicant (@mrfestusogun), a citizen of Nigeria and resident of Lagos State, on X (formerly ‘Twitter’) is wrongful, unconstitutional, arbitrary and constitutes a gross.”

He further prayed the court to compel Sanwo-Olu to unblock him, issue a public apology, and stop targeting critics online.

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“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the Respondent, his agents, privies or any other person or entity acting through or on his behalf, from further blocking the Applicant on X or any other social media platform,” the suit read.

Ogun, who described himself as “haunted, traumatised and emotionally disturbed,” stressed that the matter went beyond his personal grievance. “This suit is not just about me. I have filed this lawsuit in furtherance of public interest and with the hope that it sets a precedent in our digital rights jurisprudence,” he said.

The lawyer also invited the court to take guidance from a 2019 ruling in the United States.

“I invited the Nigerian court to be persuaded by the decision of the US District Court in Knight First Amendment Institute v Trump where President Trump was found to be in violation of the 1st Amendment when he blocked US citizens for criticising him on Twitter,” he stated.

Ogun argued that intolerance to opposing views undermines democracy. “Intolerance to criticism and accountability is unconstitutional and undemocratic. Nigerian authorities continue to crack down on dissents, critics, journalists, bloggers and vocal citizens on social media using arrests, detention, surveillance, collusion with big techs and outright blocking, as weapons. That narrative must stop,” he warned.

The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, has urged Nigerians to pay close attention to flood early warnings issued by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, highlighting the increasing risk of flooding across the country.

Addressing the newsmen during a press conference to launch a nationwide enlightenment campaign held on Thursday in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, the DG, represented by Mr. Williams Dogo, NOA’s National Director of Legal Matters at the headquarters in Abuja, emphasised that poor drainage systems and careless dumping of waste are major causes of devastating floods recently witnessed in states such as Niger, Kogi, Rivers, Anambra, and Bayelsa.

He praised NiMet’s early warning advisories for their “90% accuracy” and stressed the need for Nigerians to heed these warnings diligently to reduce flood impacts.

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The campaign, spanning all 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory, and 774 local government areas, seeks to engage the public on government policies, flood mitigation, national security awareness, and more.

“We are committed to bringing the government’s programmes closer to the people through physical engagements, town halls, and media.

“Among the government initiatives spotlighted is the Presidential Flood Mitigation directive, which in 2024 allocated N3 billion per state for drainage clearance and relocation efforts to curb such disasters,” the DG’s representative said.

The DG, highlighted that the sensitisation campaign also focuses on raising awareness about government policies such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, social safety nets including Conditional Cash Transfer, and youth empowerment through initiatives like the National Youth Investment Fund and the Industrial Training Fund.

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He therefore emphasised the need for Nigerians to understand and utilise these programmes for personal and national development.

On national security, Issa-Onilu explained that the campaign aims to boost security consciousness by informing communities about current defense strategies, including the deployment of over 15,000 new security personnel, drones, and armoured vehicles to address the country’s security challenges effectively.

Furthermore, the DG stressed the importance of youth and student re-orientation, focusing on discouraging extreme practices that conflict with Nigeria’s core values.

Accordingly, he also underlined the campaign’s effort to promote patriotism by educating citizens on national symbols such as the flag, anthem, naira, and passport.

“NOA’s increased digital presence—including the revamped website and the AI assistant ‘CLHEEAN’—alongside partnerships with numerous media outlets, will ensure that these vital messages reach a wide audience across Nigeria,” he revealed.

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Mr. Williams Dogo urged Nigerians to actively participate in the campaigns and remain alert to government advisories for their safety and well-being.

Earlier, the Jigawa State Director of the National Orientation Agency, Ahmad Ibrahim, emphasised the urgent need for residents to heed flood early warnings issued by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, especially amid rising flood risks in the region.

He linked the recent flooding challenges to poor drainage and waste management, urging Jigawa communities to cooperate with government efforts to reduce flood impacts.

The director highlighted the government’s 2024 Presidential Flood Mitigation directive, which allocated N3 billion to each state for drainage clearance and relocation initiatives, underscoring its importance in Jigawa’s flood prevention strategy.

He also connected this development to ongoing nationwide campaigns aimed at raising public awareness on key government policies, national security, and disaster preparedness.

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo

Edo Civil Society Organisations (EDOCSO) has expressed worry over the poor deployment of capturing machines and manpower to Igueben Local Government Area of the state by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the ongoing Ongoing Continuous Voters Registration (CVR).

The Coordinator, EDOCSO, Igueben Study Centre, Leftist Enabulele Larry, and Secretary, Leftist Mark Akande expressed the CSO sentiment when the duo visited the INEC headquarters in Igueben where the CBR in the local government is taking place.

In a statement made available to INFO DAILY on Friday, the leadership of EDOCSO, Igueben Study Centre condemned the “use of only two capturing devices in a local government with over 69, 396 in population.”

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The duo noted in the statement that their findings at the INEC headquarters revealed two capturing machines were deployed to each local government across the 18 local government areas of the state.

The civil society members said INEC excuse of deploying two capturing machines to each local government was not germane enough because many do not have a computer or android phone to do the online registration INEC gave as an excuse.

“The question here is, what is the percentage of our people mostly the aged individuals, that have access to Android mobile and other internet gadgets in Edo state?

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“How many people can afford internet data to enable them have access internet services in Edo state under the current excruciating economic pains by the people?

“How many of the Edo people can even manipulate the Android mobile phone to the extent of navigating the internet hurdles to undertake the job is INEC? If INEC is not ready for the job, they should tell Nigerians.

“If citizens are now advised to individually undertake the statutory job of INEC, of what purpose does the commission serve to the people? etc,” they said.

As at when filing this report, INFO DAILY was yet to get a reply from the message sent to the INEC in Edo for reaction.